AllSides conducted research into the perceived bias of Slate, Mother Jones, Tangle, The Dispatch and the Daily Caller in Nov. 2023.
During an AllSides Blind Bias Survey, participants from all sides of the political spectrum are asked to rate the content of a media outlet blindly, so they are not influenced by preconceived notions of a brand's bias. Sign up to take part in the next survey.
Survey Results
Slate Rated Left
Slate’s bias was rated Left. (-5.23)
Respondents who rated their own bias as Left, Lean Left, Center, Lean Right, or Right, all rated Slate Left, on average. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents rated Slate as Left.
Mother Jones Rated Left
Mother Jones’ bias rated Left.
Respondents who rated their own bias as Left, Center, Lean Right, or Right, rated Mother Jones Left, on average; respondents with a Lean Left bias rated Mother Jones as Lean Left, on average. Republicans and Independents rated Mother Jones Left; Democrats rated Mother Jones Lean Left.
Tangle Rated Center
Tangle’s bias rated Center.
Respondents who rated their own bias as Left, Lean Left, Center, or Lean Right, rated Tangle as Center, on average; respondents with a Right bias rated Tangle as Lean Left. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents rated Tangle as Center.
The Dispatch Rated Lean Right
The Dispatch’s bias rated Lean Right.
Respondents across the entire political spectrum all rated The Dispatch as Lean Right, on average. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all rated The Dispatch as Lean Right.
The Daily Caller Rated Right
The Daily Caller’s bias was rated Right.
Respondents across the political spectrum all rated The Daily Caller as Right, on average. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents rated The Daily Caller as Right.
About The Survey
A total of 820 people across the political spectrum took the survey. Each survey participant was asked to self-report their personal political bias – 100 participants with a self-reported Left bias; 208 with a Lean Left bias; 235 with a Center bias; 222 with a Lean Right bias, and 55 with a Right bias took the survey. These responses were normalized so that unequal sizes of these groups would not skew the final results in favor of one bias group over another.
Results are not assessed by majority rule; we calculate pluralities and averages, both within respondent groups and across all respondent groups, to arrive at final determinations.
For this survey, AllSides collected 10 pieces of content from media outlets: top headlines taken on two different days at the same time of day, and top stories the outlet ran around two major national news stories. Stories and headlines were stripped of branding and any information that would allow participants to identify the outlet. Participants were asked to rate the bias of the source on a scale of Left, Lean Left, Center, Lean Right, and Right.
Results are represented on a scale of -9 to +9, with 0 representing dead Center, -9 representing Left and +9 representing Right:
Left: -9.00 to -3.00
Lean Left: -2.99 to -1.00
Center: -0.99 to +0.99
Lean Right: +1.00 to +2.99
Right: +3.00 to +9.00
Note About Blind Bias Surveys
Blind surveys are robust, but do have limitations. They alone do not always determine our ratings. These surveys ask respondents to assess a relatively small snapshot of the source's content in time. The surveys don't include photos, content published over a long period of time, or other crucial elements for determining bias. Therefore, we often use blind survey data in conjunction with other methods to arrive at a final bias rating, such as Editorial Reviews, third party data and independent reviews by AllSides reviewers.
AllSides uses multiple methods for calculating media bias ratings.
Our Blind Bias Survey, described in the graphic below, represents one of our most robust media bias rating methods, but it is not the only method we use. A source might openly share its bias, or it may be determined by third party research, an independent review, or an Editorial Review. Take a look at the multiple methods AllSides uses to measure and rate media bias.
